SPRING PRACTICE PERIOD: Stories from the Lotus Sutra

Dogen-Zenji so cherished the Lotus Sutra that he actually carved a selection of it into his door. This, the core text of not only Zen but the whole of Mahayana Buddhism, has never lost its appeal among practitioners of the Way. Join us for our SPRING PRACTICE PERIOD: Stories From the Lotus Sutra led by Sensei Joshin Byrnes, Sensei Genzan Quennell

They say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution. They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers. Their death says to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream.—Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

We know that only love can conquer hate, that only love can bring all together in our name… Irregardless of our faiths, our ethnicities, where we are from, together we come in love. Together we come to bury racism, to bury bigotry, and to resurrect and revive love, compassion, and tenderness. —Rev. Clementa Pinckney

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Local sangha are invited to join Roshi Joan in a special memorial service honoring those killed in Charleston, this Wednesday following the 5:30PM dharma talk by Maia Duerr.

We are so moved by the descriptions of the public displays of racial unity happening in Charleston in the wake of this tragedy: Everyone at these events says the same thing: We will not be divided. If that man wanted to start a race war here, he doesn’t know us. He has achieved exactly the opposite of what he wanted. Instead of driving us apart, he has brought us together. The local paper, the Post and Courier, spoke for the city with its banner headline: “Hate won’t win.” [Source]

We remember the late Rev. Clementa Pinckney and the way he embodied the message of peacemaking as we strengthen our vow to heal the racial divide that plagues our country. May we wake up to our own biases to free ourselves from the curse of racism, to practice compassion from the deeply felt remembering that we are one body.

Gassho, Áine McCarthy

Correction: Image that appeared in last issue was incorrectly cited as a painting by Natalie Goldberg. Proper credit belongs to Armely Matas.

DHARMA TALK, DAILY PRACTICE

Check this calendar for additional times, schedule changes; some sessions are cancelled or re-located to the Cerro Gordo Temple across from Upaya's zendo.

JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL MEMORIAL SERVICE THIS WED.

You are invited to join Maia Duerr, Roshi Joan and the Upaya sangha this Wednesday, June 24 at 5:30 p.m., for a Dharma talk and Memorial Service honoring the victims of the Emanuel AME Church shooting in Charleston.

Following Maia Duerr's dharma talk, "Dreams of Freedom: Responding to Charleston," Roshi Joan Halifax will officiate this memorial service for those killed in Charleston. The community will be invited to speak and offer incense. John Dear has given his permission to read from his prepared text.

ROSHI JOAN

Roshi just returned from Singapore and is in personal retreat at the Refuge. This Wednesday, she will officiate the memorial service for those killed at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C.

She has been working intensively on Nepal aid and fundraising and has been in constant contact with her colleagues and associates in the area since the catastrophic earthquake. She urges you to donate to the relief fund for Nepal.

FEATURE ARTICLES

feature articles

LIVE THE WORDS OF PASTOR PINCKNEY: RABBI ANDREW JACOBS

One of the nine victims of the horrific shooting at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church this week was Pastor Clementa Pinckney, the church’s spiritual leader. On April 26, two months before his brutal murder, Pastor Pinckney led the “Requiem on Racism”, a moving service that called for an end to racism, bigotry, and violence. The Requiem was hosted at his church. Click to read more on Upaya's Blog...

FEELING THE WORLD: ROSHI JOAN HALIFAX

Some thoughts on why now more than ever we need to live in the body and feel the world: An important aspect of our experience as ethical and feeling beings is sensitivity to our visceral experiences. If our attention is mostly exogenous or outward, for example, on our screens or seeking external novelty or stimulation, we might not have the neural architecture to be able to sense into what the body is experiencing, and as well, to sense into the experience of others. Click to read more on Upaya's Blog...

ACTUALIZING THE FUNDAMENTAL POINT: DOGEN

Join Roshi Joan Halifax, Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi, Natalie Goldberg, Joshin Brian Byrnes & Steven Heine, PhD Jul 10-26 for SUMMER ZEN CIRCLE Know that water is life and air is life. The bird is life and the fish is life. Life must be the bird and life must be the fish. You can go further. There is practice-enlightenment which encompasses limited and unlimited life. Click to read more on Upaya's Blog...

DHARMA PODCASTS

UPAYA'S NEPAL EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND

Click here to give. Upaya is accepting donations for earthquake relief and will allocate it to those NGOs that we have relationships with and whose good work we can verify and to trusted individuals doing direct relief. We are choosing organizations led by individuals with whom we have ongoing and productive relationships. Please feel free to make gifts to Upaya's Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund. We will make periodic reports back to all who make a donation.

The road to recovery in Nepal will be very long and difficult. Upaya remains committed to our many friends there. We have a firm responsibility to provide what we can and to help for as long as is needed. Click here to contribute to this fund.

One of the most beloved scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism, the Heart Sutra is chanted daily around the world in dozens of languages by millions of practitioners... In this six-week online course, Kazuaki Tanahashi and Roshi Joan Halifax collaboratively explore the depths of the sutra’s teaching through talks, chanting, readings, and group discussions. Click to read more on Upaya's Blog...

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

CMEs, CNEs, CEUs are available at Upaya in 2015. Click for info and retreats offering credits.